Webster (Daniel) Elementary School

DW has made great strides due to heavy parent involvement at every turn. The result is a school where kids are learning in a supportive, multicultural environment. Many more kids from white collar families than the (outdated) stats imply. One of the few truly diverse schools in the city, and my daughter is benefiting in every way.
—Submitted by a parent

Our daughter is in Ms. Gonzales' Spanish Immersion kindergarten class, and we are very happy with her and Daniel Webster as a whole. We are a bilingual family, but didn't feel that our daughter really enjoyed or understood the importance of speaking more than one language until now. She comes home singing, reading, and writing in Spanish. She is happy to go to school everyday and has made many good friends. We also feel that DW is the right match for us as parents and are connecting and making new friendships with many wonderful people. The parent involvement is great, and everyone who works at DW seems to be there because they really love these kids and want to give them everything they can. It is exciting and rewarding to be involved in such a passionate and dedicated community.
—Submitted by a parent

Our son transferred to DW last year for 1st grade a month into the school year. It was a little tough for him, but made so much easier by the immediate friendliness of his peers and teachers. He came home the first day saying he had a friend. I think this is a good example of the feeling at DW - a small, tight-knit and friendly community. It is also exciting to be a part of a school that is dynamically on the up-swing. A critical mass of neighborhood parents started a Spanish immersion preschool and implemented a new Spanish immersion program several years ago. As part of this effort, the school's PTA began in 2008 and has ramped up quickly, bringing in nearly 100K last year. I include that to point out that this school is solid. This is a school that is increasingly promoting academics and able to solve problems as they arise. As of last year, we now have the EXCEL after-school program as well, which has been a great addition, including great enrichment activities. Of course, there is always room for improvement, but I am so happily a part of this community that comes together to ensure a friendly, safe and dynamic school experience for our kids.
—Submitted by a parent

Our daughter goes to Spanish Immersion at DW and really likes it. Her friends are smart, she interacts with a broad range of kids and is becoming very fluent in Spanish. I'm bilingual and am very grateful that she will have that gift also. The parents are great here; the PTA is determined to help all the children from all backgrounds learn to their fullest potential. We chip in for extra programs and are working with the SFUSD board to move our school to a K-8 model. Our test scores are low because we have a LOT of English language learners, but our local ELAC committee is working with community groups to get tutoring and other programs in place to help those children also.
—Submitted by a parent

Great sense of community and commitment to improve. The test scores do not reflect how passionate this school is about nurturing it's students to fulfill their potential. We haven't had a second thought about having our son attend Webster Elementary and look forward to the years to come!
—Submitted by a parent

My daughter is in 3rd grade Spanish immersion at DW. I've been involved with the school as a community volunteer for several years before she attended, and have witnessed first-hand the transformation that has taken place at this amazing little school. The teachers are passionate, committed and competent. The administration works together and is cheerful and helpful, and the parent community is diverse, warm and welcoming. The other very notable quality that really makes the school a gem is that it is a work in progress and has a flexible and collaborative approach to many things that are set in stone at more long-established schools. So when problems, obstacles and issues arise, as they always do at public schools--from budget shortfalls to security to communication issues--the community comes together to find solutions, rather than having things fester or left unaddressed. We feel so lucky to be here, at a small neighborhood school with a real community.
—Submitted by a parent

What I love about DW is the incredible partnership between the school and its families. We've been at DW for 4 years and it just gets better and better. The kinks associated with any new program have been worked out (yes, it was rocky at times in the early years, but it's a whole new world now). We have a fantastic after school program, energized teachers, a critical mass of families (finally!) that have made our PTA a powerhouse, unbelievable community support, a growing GATE program, and, most importantly, a committed educational partnership. My child reads equally well in Spanish and English, despite neither of us speaking Spanish. I still get chills when I see him speak so effortlessly in Spanish! He loves the science curriculum so much that he checks out nonfiction books at the library to learn more. We took a big chance starting in the SIP program 4 yrs ago and I'm so glad we did. We've made friends for life and my son has been given an incredible opportunity to become bilingual. We've learned so much about different cultures and different families...Webster epitomizes all the reasons why we chose to stay in the city to raise our family.
—Submitted by a parent

Our son is in the Spanish Immersion kindergarten. He is thriving. He loves his teacher (Ms. Gonzales). There is a big focus on literacy and he comes home with a book he has written (in Spanish - we speak no Spanish at home) just about every day. Daniel Webster is relatively small, which leads to a nice intimate culture. And, this is complemented by a very involved parent community which is growing every year, especially with a steady stream of families coming from the excellent pre-school on the campus. Our biggest surprise is the extremely high quality of the teaching staff. There is a core of teachers with extensive experience and a group of super smart and very enthusiastic young teachers (Ms. Gonzales is one). The student body is well integrated, which we were looking for. We couldn't be happier.
—Submitted by a parent

My son is in the 1st grade immersion program at Daniel Webster and he just loves it! There's a great learning environment that's been created in the school. He is now reading in both English and Spanish. The teachers at the school are amazing and the community support is overwhelming. We feel very lucky to be a part of such a great community!
—Submitted by a parent

it has a strong community w/ parents volunteering - national scores are going up and it now offers spanish immersion - it is a school that many dismissed but is now a rising star!!!

Though the school is still somewhat in transition, it is headed solidly in the right direction. One of its greatest endorsements is that the school principal is sending her children there!
—Submitted by a parent

We love our school and feel we have some of the best teachers at SFUSD. My son is a happy student and skips to school everyday. We were looking for a 'community' of people and found it here. Even though there is work to be done, we are all working toward the same goals and we know we've made some life-long friends.
—Submitted by a parent

this is a great school that gets better every year!
—Submitted by a parent

Daniel Webster is up and coming. There are great , enthusiastic teachers and an amazing parent base. The Potrero Hill community is totally behind this school and trying to help make it better. This school is going up, up, up!
—Submitted by a parent

I love this school its very secure and a great place to teach your child. If there's a problem the principle will solve in a good way. There's also many assembly's and field trips which will make your child happy!
—Submitted by a parent

I love this school. The teachers are very nice and i just like it.
—Submitted by a parent

I have a child attending Daniel Webster this year in the new Spanish Immersion program. I am very pleased with the teacher and the school. She is very happy and is learning as well. The school is very diverse culturally and has a great sense of growing community.
—Submitted by a parent

Daniel Webster is a sweet, small school poised for a turn-around. The principal is smart, charismatic and very enthusiastic about the changes taking place. A new Spanish immersion program began this year (2008/2009) with two kindergarten classes. More and more parents are getting involved. Webster is a great school to consider if you want your children to become bilingual/biliterate in Spanish in a sunny, quiet neighborhood school. Come check it out!
—Submitted by a parent

i just graduated from this school it was a fun school i was in this school since 2002 it was so much fun and i had a realy good time there.its a realy good school.
—Submitted by a student

I have visited classes at Daniel Webster for the last 3 years.I am always impressed by the teacher's and principal's care for their students.The staff seems to be doing their very best to make Daniel Webster a happy learning environment. And the students are engaged and involved.
—Submitted by p. Linenthal, a parent